New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-05-11
3 .s-i-
1Nl2 l8lsk1 re-
NEW ULM. MINI.
.GHAs. Z. ROOs, Managing Editor
Wednesday, May IL, 1887.

: Z 5gz :
man system, reads as follows:
Section /. It shall be the duty OF the
boards Of education and trustees IN
charge OF schools and educational lnstl-
tutions supported in whole or IN part
bv public funds, to make provision Tor
systematic and regular instruction IN
physiology and hygiene, including spe-
cial reference to the effects OF stlmu--
lants and narcotics upon the human
system.
SEC. 2. 1t shall be the duty OF all
teachers in the public schools OF the
state to give systematic and regular in
struction in physiology and hygiene, in
Guiding special reference to the effect OF
stimulants and narcotics upon the hui
man system, and any neglect or refus-
al on the part of such teachers to pro-
vide instruction as aforesaid shall be
deemed sufficient cause for annulllng his
or her certificate by the county super
intendent or other competent officer.
SEC. 8. No certificate shall be grant
ed any person to teach in the public
schools of this state after January first,
one thousand eight hundred and eighty
eight (1ss8), who has not passed a sat
isfactory examination in physiology and
hygiene, with special reference to the
effects of stimulants and narcotics upon
the human system.
SEC. 4. It shall be the duty of the
county superintendent of schools to re-
port to the superintendent of public in
struction any failure or neglect on the
part of any board of education.or trust
ees of school or institution receiving
aid in whole or in part from the state.
TO make provision for the instruction
aforesaid; and such failure or neglect
being satisfactorily proven by the coun-
ty superintendent, OR by other persons
it shall be sufficient warrant upon which
the superintendent of public instruction
may withhold the apportionment OF the
current school fund from such district:
provided, that not more than one
fourth CD of said apportionmens shall
be withheld upon the first offense, one
third upon the second, and one-half
npon any subsequent offense.
SEC. 5. That the superintendent. OF
public instruction and the presidents of
the normal schools of this state be dir
ected to recommend some suitable text
book, and to furnish the same at cost
to the several school districts OF this
state for the study of physiology and
hygiene, with special reference to the
effects of stimulants and narcotics upon
the human system.
The committee named in the law for
the selection of q text book now an
nounce that no manual will be recon-
mended which does not teach the ne
cessity of total abstinence. A number
of text books devoting from one-eighth
to one.third Of their space to the effects
Of stimulants and narcotics are known
to have been submitted to the four wise
men of Minnesota, but failed to find IA
vor in their eyes because their authors
did not deem it advisable to ''knock
OUT science. and common sense by
classifying diluted alcohol and stimu-
lants containing the same with strych-
nine and arsenic. The committee says
it will not compromise with sin" In
the eyes of these four pre-eminently
righteous men it is perhaps no sin to
put a construction upon the law given
above which no honest man can sane
ton. Ten years ago q gentleman in
Wisconsin was running for a state Of
flee as the nominee of the democratic
party. At the time being he publicly
gave it as his opinion that ''mo so
called temperance loaos (prohi6itio,a
tasUs) shall be passed. vouching with
his signature for the honesty of his con-
victions. To-day the gentleman in ques-
ton is mcmb Der OF the text book COM
mittee mentioned above and apparently
assists in misinterpreting law whose
language is free from ambiguity. The
position taken by the committee could
only be justified if it had been proven
that the effects of all stimulants are
such as to render total abstinence nee
essary. In this case, however, the
passage Of the most stringent prohibit
ton laws would become an absolute ne
cessity. No person having a brain
wherewith he does his own thinking
can honestly claim that total abstinence
should be taught in the schools without
at the same time favoring the. pas.
sage Of prohibition laws. VII Presi-